At The Beginning
by Tess H Ross
Summary: How Doug and Carol's relationship happened...another one of mine romantic D/C fics...please R&R!!!!!!!!!
1. At The Beginning: Chapter One

"Carol?"  
  
Carol Hathaway looked up from the purse she was fishing in.  
  
"Yeah?" She walked to where Susan Lewis was standing.  
  
"Mark told me to tell everyone we've got a new doc coming." she announced.  
  
"Oh, joy of joys." Carol smiled.  
  
"I know, takes a while to get accustomed to a new face...." Susan said optimistically. "But think of what a good new doc I was." She grinned and Carol laughed.  
  
"You were very...eager." She offered.  
  
"Can you tell the nurses?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm capable of that." Carol nodded and walked to where Haleh and Lydia were clumped. "Hey, Haleh."  
  
"Hmm?" Haleh replied.  
  
"New doc coming today." She announced.  
  
"What time?" Lydia asked.  
  
"No idea, find Mark, he'll tell you." Carol said, walking off.  
  
"Did you call me, Carol?" Mark looked at her.  
  
"No, just telling Lydia and Haleh about the new doc." She replied.  
  
"Oh, OK. Think you can help me with a broken-femur druggie?" Mark smiled, waving the chart lightheartedly.  
  
"Always up for the druggies." Carol laughed.  
  
"Hey, Carol!" Timmy called. "Some drunk needs cleaning up, says his name's Pablo."  
  
"I'm busy, get Haleh!" she yelled back, following Mark into an Exam room.  
  
~*~  
  
"Carol, right?" Carol rolled her eyes. She had worked at the hospital for two years and Morgenstern *still* didn't know her name.  
  
"That's me." She forced a smile.  
  
"Can you take Mrs. Carley here to the bathroom?" He nodded towards the little wizened old lady at his side.  
  
"Actually, I was just on my way out." Carol said. "But I'm sure that new nurse over ther would be happy to help you. His name's Malik." She pointed to the young man dressed in purple and black scrubs. Morgenstern smiled.  
  
"Thanks." He said and walked Mrs. Carley to Malik.  
  
"Finally," Carol sighed and left, going to Doc Magoo's for some lunch. She ate her sandwich (alone, as usual) and stood to get ready for work when she felt something dripping down her shirt.  
  
"Oh, God!" she cried when she realized a stranger had bumped into her and spill some cold drink over her peach-coloured scrubs.  
  
"Damn, I'm so sorry!" The man cried, grabbing a bunch of napkins from a holder, handing them to her so she could wipe up what smelled like apple juice from her body.  
  
"Yeah, sure." She said, cleaning herself up, glancing at her attacker. He was tall, with wavy brown hair and big brown eyes.  
  
"Can I help you? Call you a cab, buy you a new shirt?" He asked earnestly.  
  
"No, I'm *fine*." Carol muttered angrily, tossing the napkins onto a table and walking out.  
  
~*~  
  
"Carol, what happened to your shirt?" Susan asked, walking into the lounge.  
  
"Some idiot spilled his juice on me and now I smell like an apple orchard." She groaned.  
  
"Sounds like fun."  
  
"Did that new doc come yet?"  
  
"No, and I'm going home. Remind Mark to tell whoever it is about me, will you?"  
  
"Sure, when are you coming back?"  
  
"Tonight, at one." Susan sighed. "When do you leave?"  
  
"Ten." She replied.  
  
"Have fun," Susan waved and left. Carol wrapped her stethoscope around her now pink-collared neck and walked into the admit area, where everyone was watching Mark talk to someone, though all they could see was the back of his head.  
  
"That the new one?" Carol asked.  
  
"Mmhmm." Haleh replied. As she said that, Mark gestured for the doctor to follow him to the desk.  
  
"Everyone, this is Dr. Doug Ross." Mark introduced, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "Dr. Ross, these are some of our nurses, Malik McGrath, Haleh Adams, Lydia Wright, Connie Oligario, and Carol Hathaway, and that's Timmy, the desk clerk."  
  
"Hi." Dr. Ross  
  
"You!" Carol cried. 


	2. At The Beginning: Chapter Two

"Carol, do you, um, know Dr. Ross?" Mark asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's the guy who spilled juice on me at Doc's." she replied, giving him a wary eye while all he did was grin.  
  
"Well, then since you know him, you can take him on a tour." Mark gently shoved the two close together. "Go on, you won't bite each other." He said when they didn't move.  
  
"Come on," Carol said, leading him away.  
  
"Carol, right?" Dr. Ross asked.  
  
"Yeah, and you're Dr. Ross." She replied, walking briskly so he would have to keep up.  
  
"Call me Doug." He said.  
  
"This is Chairs. People wait there, that's kind of obvious." She said, pointing to the people waiting.  
  
"OK," he replied.  
  
"That's Trauma One." She said. "Curtain One's there, Curtain Two's there, and the lounge is right there. Those two rooms are Exam One and Two and that's Curtain Three, Trauma Two and the Suture room are down the hall. Come on, I'll show you the rest."  
  
"Um, Carol?" Doug said when they reached the Suture room.  
  
"Yes?" She said, turning to face him.  
  
"I just wanted to apologize for this morning. It was an accident, and I wanted to make sure you forgave me." he stammered.  
  
"It's no big deal." Carol replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Really? We're on good terms now?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Then I'd like to start over." He held out his hand. "I'm Doug Ross, pediatrician."  
  
"Carol Hathaway, R.N." She smiled. "There's the Suture room, those are the stairs and the elevators." And Carol began their tour once again.  
  
~*~  
  
"Well, do you think he's good?" Mark asked Carol, moving down the cafeteria line.  
  
"Did you seem him work on that little MVA girl? He's a *very* good doctor." Carol replied, picking up a thing of orange jell-o and giving it a shake.  
  
"Trying out the jell?" Mark raised his eyebrows. "He did well. And that spinal tap...should've bought him some champagne." She grinned.  
  
"You know, I'm right down the line." Doug's voice called from three people away. "And I'll take you up on that champagne offer." Mark smirked at Carol.  
  
"If you ask me, he seems kind of a smart ass." Carol whispered, paying for her food and getting a table.  
  
"Won't you join us, Doug?" Mark asked, nodding to their table.  
  
"Thanks." Doug smiled and sat in a chair next to Carol and opposite Mark.  
  
"How has your day been?" Mark said, biting into his sandwich.  
  
"Pretty good. Better than the last hospital I worked at." Doug said. "There was this really evil chief. She and I didn't get along too well."  
  
"And where was this?" Carol asked.  
  
"Nevada. About an hour from Vegas." Said Doug.  
  
"You a gambler?" she said, stabbing at her pasta.  
  
"Occasionally." He replied, grinning to himself. He reached over the table for the salt, spilling his ketchup onto his coat. "Damn it!" he cried, jumping up.  
  
"You're quite the oaf today, Dr. Ross." Carol said, laughing quietly.  
  
"Haha...." he said sarcastically, then muttered, "I never liked those white coats anyways," removing his coat as he said it. "I'm going to get some more ketchup." He stood and walked to the line, Carol watching him walk off.  
  
"Carol?" She didn't answer. "Carol? Earth to Carol...." Mark snapped his fingers in her face, averting her gaze from the doctor.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Mark. I was distracted." She murmured.  
  
"I should say so." Mark guffawed. Leaning closer, he asked, "You like him, don't you?"  
  
"What?! Mark, what *are* you talking about?"  
  
"You like him. You think he's hot. You want to kiss him. You want to take him to bed, strip him down, and give him a good long f-"  
  
"MARK!!"  
  
"What?" he smiled innocently. "What'd I say?" Carol grinned good-naturedly and hit his arm. "Honestly, you two would make a good couple."  
  
"Who would?" Doug asked, walking over with his ketchup.  
  
"No one." Carol said before Mark could reply.  
  
~*~  
  
Thanks to Julexer, for help with some stuff.... 


End file.
